What prevents Minnesota communities from building healthier, more equitable developments? In this report, we share the thoughts of community members, elected officials, city staff, and developers in first-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul on problems and opportunities around affordable housing and active transportation. Their experiences offer insights into the challenges and barriers that first-ring suburbs face, including:

community opposition to active transportation infrastructure and new developments, including market rate and affordable housing;

lack of tools for preserving unsubsidized affordable housing and building mixed-income housing;

thinking only in terms of affordable housing, not affordable living;

limited funding for affordable housing;

meeting the needs and desires of residents who are currently car-dependent while working towards becoming more walkable and bikeable; and

retrofitting streets with sidewalks—and deciding who will pay for and maintain them.

Although many of these problems may seem intractable, there are ways to move forward. In this report, cities, developers, and other stakeholders will find suggestions for overcoming obstacles to healthier, more equitable development in the suburbs, including the following:

Community Engagement

Build authentic, long-term relationships with community members rather than transactional relationships.

Engage the community early in the development process rather than after all decisions have been made.

Create and fund ongoing, staffed community partnerships that help to create a cohesive community vision and make it easier for developers to engage productively in the community.

Use demonstrations and temporary installations to help community members understand how biking and walking infrastructure will work, and to gather a broader array of perspectives beyond just those of adjacent property owners.

Make sidewalks part of the city budget and maintain at least a network of sidewalks that provide connectivity to key destinations.

Work toward equity in pedestrian and bike infrastructure by creating holistic plans for bike/walk networks throughout your community, rather than only building such infrastructure when new development occurs.